Beau

OK I'll bite. I don't know the reasons but cables can make a major difference to the sound on a decent hifi system. Many moons ago I got to do a barter with friend who was working as a hifi reviewer for the magazines. He needed some wood work and in exchange I got to try out and keep some hifi equipment. We were nearly done and he then asked about my speaker cables. I was using QED 200 strand which was considered an OK budget cable at the time. He went up into the loft and handed me 3 hefty coils of speaker cable and I was sent off to compare them and report back as he always valued a second opinion. All were Audioquest and of a similar thickness and length. I would play the same track over and over while swopping cables. The first two I tried were better than mine and slightly different from one another but nothing dramatic. The third one I tried was a step change (Audioquest Hyperlitz for anyone who is interested) Everything sounded more open and simply more musical. It made as much difference as a major upgrade to an amp or the speakers. Turned out it was the most expensive at £95 per metre and I had 2x 7.5 lengths of it which I was allowed to keep. I ended up with cables, a pre amp and some amazing if eclectic speakers in exchange for building some garage doors and a chair. I think was the winner in that barter not that I think he had to pay for any of the gear. When he wrote favourable reviews they didn't always ask for the equipment to be returned. Also don't neglect your room. When we moved into the barn I set up this same hifi system and it sounded completely different and in a BAD way. It became way to bright and in your face due to all the flat reflective surfaces, tiles not carpet and general lack off stuff to break up and absorb sound waves.

What are you looking for from an alternative? Douglas fir and larch should be as cheap as you are going to get per m2

I was just chatting with our sparky about this as I was laying in some cables last week. My question was did I need to clip the cables or was it OK to lay the cables over the insulation. He was happy with them laid on top of the insulation. I suspect that if they were laid on the plaster board with insulation over the top they could heat up up lessening their current carrying capacity.

The problem is I've have been spoilt with a decent hifi system. If I just chuck in some basic surround sound gear I think my inner hifi snob would rear it's ugly head 🤣 I'm so out of touch as last time I looked at surround gear it was 5.1 haha. Denon used to make a surround amp that just did 3 channel and used your regular system for the front which is the rout I would have taken. This doesn't seem to be a thing any more.

Hmmm now you have me worried as I thought it was something you could DIY, the manufacturer sells it as such. I'm not a plasterer but can do a decent job dry lining but not with pink. The process sounded time consuming but not as much of an art as applying pink. Also it claims to be fully waterproof. Are they overselling it and have I got these things wrong?

Following this with interest but quickly coming to the conclusion its very expensive and pretty complicated with so many speakers required. Will now probably stick with a good stereo and treat ourselves to a subwoofer. Good luck with your project Pocster

I've nearly settled on using micro cement for the walls on our shower cubical. I've never used the stuff before but on paper like the simplicity, no grout and cost. Looking at the installation advice I should use WR plasterboard sealed onto the shower tray, skimmed and then the micro cement. I was wondering if any of you have any comment good or bad about the stuff and the backing before I commit to this plan. Thanks

Yet to sort our TV room but do many films make good use of surround sound? I only ask as when we do go to the cinema (not often) there is the odd effect but most of the soundscape appears to be just regular stereo. I was just planning to stick with a good stereo hifi but wondering if we are missing out and we should plan for a full surround system.

We installed an induction hob in our barn conversion probably 15 years ago. As others have said it's lovely to cook on but touch controls can be a pain especially when you want to turn something down in a rush as it about to boil over. Recently moved into the old farmhouse and the first thing we did was rip out the LPG AGA which as to be the most inefficient and just all round dreadful cooker ever invented. Over 2K a year in bulk tank LPG to heat one room, the hot water and cook. Picked up a SH, faulty Falcon range cooker with induction hob. Not a cheap fix but ended up a third the price of a new one. Knobs for controls and no turning itself off when you boil something over so now it's our favourite cooker ever

14.5K here after the grant for Vaillant aroTherm plus 7kW, hot tank, 11 rads and all plumbing. I'm sure they made a hansom profit but unless you are ballsy enough to design and do it yourself they have you by the short and curly's.

So shrinking treads is quite possible the cause. As above I would see if it will press back or use a sacrificial piece of spare wood held over the nosing and give it a good thump with a hammer and hopefully it will push it back. I would test fist to see if it will move and if yes then run some glue in and tap/clamp back into position. Another way might be to screw and plug from the front of the nosing to pull it together as clamping maybe tricky. If it wont move wait until everything is fully dry and fill the crack either with epoxy if you think it needs reinforcing or just a coloured filler if not needing to be structural.

The Burley small stove works well IME. Not sure if they have a closed combustion option though

Are the stairs new and have the treads been glued into the stringer? First thought is if they have and the tread then shrinks with this dry weather some cracks will occur

Thanks John. They were opposed to Velux at the time due to the thicker visible frames but I see them being used on other builds locally now so will now take a closer look at them and the sizes. Hoping to avoid too much roof restructuring work

We did our barn conversion nearly 20 years ago. The planners (Dartmoor National Park) were strict about types of conservation roof-lights so we went with the ones they liked (The Rooflight Company). They are steel and get terrible condensation and are now rusting quite badly. Do all rooflights suffer in this way or can I get conservation rooflights that last longer? Alternatively I can do my best to remove all the rust and give them a good dose of Hammerite paint to buy us a few more years. Thanks

We had an anhydrite liquid screed and tiled straight on to it. I did have to grind the top and prime it but no decoupling membrane which sounds weird as surly you need the tiles bonded to the floor anyway

This is how I've narrowed down the disposable masks to use. I make charcoal as well and charcoal dust creeping inside a mask is very easy to spot

I either use the 3M Aura with valve or the Mouldex ones which are more pricey but hold their shape better. What matters most is that whatever you buy fits you. We all have different shaped faces so no point having the best filter system only to have all the air get in around the side. Been taking down lath and plaster ceilings recently and both these masks were up to job for me

Thanks. I will try and dig out the details

Not at all. I was very familiar with our old GSHP but haven't really got my head around this ASHP and its controls There are two controllers. One is now built into a cupboard as I was told I wouldn't need to touch it once up and running and the other does have an installer level section but I cant see anything about flow rates on it.

It's built into the heat pump. According to the specs flow rates go from 540-1205 l/h. My gut feeling listening to it is it operates at one or the other and doesn't modulate between the two.

I suspect your right but not sure what to do about it. This morning I came down and it was just audible like say a gas boiler in a neighbouring room. Now it's just stepped up more like I am in the room with a boiler even though is not cold outside and flow temps are low. Sometimes when its cold you get a two noises one is just rushing water in pipes but there is a second like a distant car is coming up our quiet country road but never gets here. I think the second noise is the heat pump running getting carried through the pipes. It's interesting that others say their systems are near silent as I had just put it down to the ASHPs needing high flow rates but maybe this is not the case. I did mention it early on to the installer but they just shrugged as though it was normal. On the water noise in the pipes I dont think I saw them deburr inside any of the pipes it was just pipe cutter then clamp. Could the burrs be causing turbulence and in turn the noise of rushing water?

We live on Dartmoor. It's around 11C outside and been gusting 55 kmh. The house is only part renovated and we get poor solar gain due to having just two south facing windows and are very shaded from the east.

Thanks SteamyTea Right now flow temp is down at 25c for an inside temp of 18C but the rads are still noisy. Its set up to only run from weather comp. Highest flow I have seen is 38C but I dont check it very often and dont yet have an app to easily see whats happening. No idea what the flow rates are as not sure where to find that info

We have the Vaillant aroTHERM plus 7kW. Its not bad but a bit noisy when working hard. Also get an annoying resonance at times. If I press against the case it stops but haven't yet been able to trace the cause. The sound of the water flowing around the rads is quite intrusive especially on the first few rads in the system. I say all this but having gone from no heating system it was always going to be different and we live remotely so dont have any background noise to mask the noise the system makes.